Say Something
by Caitlin51
Summary: Now that he knows that she is the one, he never wants to let her go. Barry/Caitlin drabble series. Requests or suggestions greatly appreciated!
1. Chapter 1

_**A/N: Okay, so this is a bit of an experiment for me as the Flash is a pretty new show and I don't really know the characters yet, but I really wanted to give it a try.**_

_**Please leave a review if you want this developed into a drabble series!**_

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><p>It is always the small things that catch his eyes.<p>

A sad look in her eyes when she thinks he's not looking, a tiny smile when he cracks a joke, an occasional pat on the back or touch on the arm.

None of which should produce this kind of reaction in him. These feelings seem out of place, unusual, especially after he had thought that he was in love with Iris.

What he feels for Caitlin, however, is different. She is…

"Barry?"

He turns at the sound of his name, feeling himself smile despite the interruption to his thoughts. He can't help it - there is just something about her, something that makes him happy.

"I'm surprised to find you here, still," Caitlin continues, stepping around the desk to join him at the window. "Everything okay?"

Barry doesn't meet her eyes. How does he tell her that he had had a realization, that he had finally moved on from Iris and had somehow developed feelings for her?

"Everything's fine," he replies, unconsciously shifting closer to her. "I've just been...thinking."

"Thinking? That's new," she scoffs playfully, then looks at him to gage his reaction to her words. Joking is still new to her, and she often looks to him for reassurance.

He rolls his eyes and grins at her. "Very funny."

The answering smile she gives him, though small, rewards his efforts.

"Seriously, Barry, what's up?" she continues in a more serious tone.

For a second, he debates telling her, getting his feelings out in the open right away. However, as he opens his mouth, he says instead, "It's nothing. I just was hoping that you were okay after...well, after everything that happened today."

"Oh," her eyes fall and a frown appears on her lips. Inwardly, he curses himself for bringing it up in one of the few moments he gets to spend with her. "It was hard," she admits, "seeing you all bruised and bleeding like that, but I'm okay." She lowers her voice wryly. "I'm getting used to that part of the job, now."

"I should have listened to you."

"That's what I always tell you." They have a routine now - Caitlin tells him before every mission to be careful, to pause and evaluate the situation before jumping in, but that never seems to be a viable option in the moment.

"And I still never listen."

"Never," she agrees sadly.

"I'm sorry." He means it - he is sorry that she had to see him broken like that, had to patch him up because he had lost the first battle with today's metahuman. "I really will be more careful next time I fight this guy. Does Cisco have a name for him yet?"

"Not yet," she replies, her eyes lightening as they change the subject from Barry's injuries. "He's working on it, though."

"Good."

They stand together in silence for a moment, but a comfortable silence. Neither feel the need to be constantly talking if there is nothing to say - one of their biggest similarities.

Finally, Caitlin puts a gentle hand on his arm and asks, "Barry, how are you really doing? And I want the truth this time, not some simplified response that tells me nothing. I know today was tough for you."

"You don't know the half of it," he responds before he could think about his words.

Caitlin had found him, unconscious in a brick alley, early that morning after his fight with the metahuman. The guy's power was to absorb an substance and to change his whole body into that material. Unfortunately, the alley was made of brick, which explain why Barry hadn't stood a chance against him.

"I was there, remember?" she insists. "I saw what happened to you."

"I was already healing by the time you arrived," he protests, trying to cover up the part he wasn't telling her, the part about his feelings for her.

"You were still unconscious."

He nods his head to her, admitting that she has a point.

In fact, it was waking up to the sight of her leaning over him, tears in her eyes showing how concerned she was, that had made him realize that he felt more than friendship for her.

"Anyway, I'm feeling fine now." It is the truth, more or less. He feels fine except for the bruises still coating his body that even his rapid rate of healing haven't managed to fix yet. "And besides, who else can say that they know what it feels like to be hit in the head with a ton of bricks?"

Her lips quirk upwards in something that looks suspiciously like an attempt to control laughter. "That's not funny, Barry," she scolds him, but the look in her eyes tells him that she isn't serious.

"Oh come on," he leans towards her, "you want to laugh."

"No," she protests, shaking her head. However, now she is smiling widely, a smile that transforms her normally pretty face into something breathtakingly beautiful.

"I did it," Barry announces, holding his arms out to the empty room. "I finally got Caitlin Snow to _almost_ laugh."

"Barry-" she tries to interrupt, but he doesn't let her.

"Hang on, Caitlin, this is my moment. Let me enjoy it."

"Fine, I'll just be leaving then," she threatens, turning to walk away.

"Wait," the word comes out before he can stop it.

She turns back to him, a questioning look in her eyes and one eyebrow arched.

"Thank you," he says simply, taking a couple steps towards her and then enfolding her in his arms. "For being there for me."

She rests her head against him and hugs him back. "Always."

This moment is the most intimate one they had ever shared.

Barry savours every second of the embrace, loving the feeling of her in his arms, of being able to hold her close for the first time.

He never wants to let her go.

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><p><strong>So, I don't really know what that was or how awful it turned out, but please review and let me know if I should expand this or not!<strong>


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Wow - you guys are all amazing! I can't believe the reception that this got, so I'm definitely going to continue to write it. It will be a drabble series, but will also be in chronological order so that we can see the relationship build. I think it will be fun!**

**Also, I LOVE ideas, so please let me know what you want to see in future chapters =).**

**Enjoy and review!**

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><p>"Can I join you?"<p>

Caitlin looks up at the familiar sound of Barry's voice, surprised to still see him here. She pauses for a moment, the thought of company making her frown, but she doesn't want to be rude. Besides, she likes Barry. If anyone has to be here, at least it was him.

"Yeah," she shifts slightly away from him as he sits down on the floor next to her. "What are you doing here, Barry?"

"Do you ever go home?" he ignores her question, a slight smile on his lips as he looks at her. "Because you were here last night, and then tonight…"

"I could ask you the same thing," she sniffs. "And besides, in the past 48 hours, you have developed a concussion, cracked a couple ribs, broken your hand _twice _and-"

"Okay," he laughs, cutting her off and holding up his hands in surrender. "Fine. You win. I shouldn't be here."

"No," she blurts out before she has time to think. "I mean, that's not what I meant."

Even their brief conversation reminds Caitlin that loneliness isn't always fun, that human contact once in a while is good for her. Besides, there's something about Barry that always manages to dispel her dark clouds of gloom.

"Okay," he grins, "then what exactly did you mean?"

She pauses, unsure how to respond. It's difficult to tell him what she meant by her comment when she doesn't really understand it herself. "I want you to stay," she finally decides on saying, hoping that that her lack of an explanation will suffice, at least for now.

"Good," he nods decisively, settling back against the wall. "Any reason we're sitting on the floor?"

"It's snowing outside," she states flatly, crossing her arms in front of her.

"Ah," Barry replies. "That makes sense. Thanks for clarifying."

Caitlin sighs. "I don't like snow."

"Isn't that your last-"

"-name," she finishes, shooting him a glare. "I know. Believe me, _everyone_ has told me that because I'm Caitlin _Snow_ that I should love the icy rain falling from the sky, coating everything was a layer of danger."

Barry just laughs and jumps to his feet. "Come on," he holds out a hand down to her.

"Come where?" she asks suspiciously, afraid that he was suggesting what she thought he was suggesting.

"Outside," he grins, his eyes dancing. "Or, I guess you could stay here, curled up on the floor, scared to go home because of the _weather._"

"I'm not scared!" she defends herself hotly. "I'm being smart."

"Caitlinnn," he draws out her name pleadingly.

Rolling her eyes, she gives him her hand and lets him pull her up. "Only for a-"

Rapid movement cuts off her sentence, forcing the air out of her lungs.

"-moment," she finishes, her breath coming out of her mouth in a cloud of vapour.

They are now outside of Star Labs, standing ankle deep in snow, more flurries circling around their heads.

"Ba-ba-barry," she shivers, her teeth chattering, "it's freezing." In Barry's hasty rush outside, he hadn't given her time to grab her winter jacket, hat, and gloves to prepare for the cold.

"Oh, sorry," he grimaces apologetically. A rush of wind announces his departure, then moments later his arrival again, this time holding her winter gear.

"Thanks," she snatches her white coat with eager, nearly numb fingers and puts it on, hastily adding her bright pink scarf and gloves.

"Better?"

"A little." Her internal body temperature is still pretty cold, but the extra layer certainly helped conserve what little warmth she had left.

"So," Barry glances at her with an eager expression, "what do you think?"

"Cold. Wet."

"Come on, Caitlin, loosen up," he urges. "Catch a snowflake on your tongue. Make a snow angel. Have a snowball fight. Do _something._"

She looks at him apprehensively. "Really?"

In response, he tilts his head back and opens his mouth, sticking his tongue out.

"You look ridiculous."

"A true friend wouldn't let me look ridiculous alone," he mumbles, still catching the snow in his mouth.

She huffs an impatient breath, but mirrors his posture. She feels idiotic, standing in the snow late at night with her tongue sticking out, but Barry's presence at her side makes things slightly better.

To her surprise, looking up at the snow flurries coming out of the darkness of the sky and feeling the chilly sensation of a flake landing on her tongue, she feels herself smiling despite the fact that she was still shivering.

"Fun, isn't it?"

Caitlin looks over at Barry and finds that he had stopped trying to catch snowflakes and was instead staring at her, a strangely tender look in his eyes.

"Yeah," she responds softly.

They stand there in silence for a second, both caught up in the moment.

Then, Caitlin breaks eye contact and asks, "So, snow angels? How…?"

"What kind of a childhood did you have?" he interrupts incredulously.

"I...I studied. A lot."

He rolls his eyes. "Lie down."

"In that?" she shoots a distasteful look at the snow-covered ground.

"Yes," he laughs, grabbing her hand and pulling her down next to him so they were both lying on their backs in the snow. "Now, move your arms and legs...like this…" he demonstrates, waving his limbs.

Caitlin follows his example again, creating her own silhouette.

After finishing his, Barry stands and helps her up, dusting some of the remaining powder off the back of her coat. "Look at that," he gestures to their creations proudly. "Perfect snow angels."

"They are pretty good," Caitlin admits, studying the clear outlines. The arms spans were pretty close, so it looked like their snow angels were holding hands...or wings...whatever they were supposed to be.

"Are you having fun?" Barry turns to her, a more serious, earnest look in his gaze.

Caitlin considers for a second, biting her lip. "Yes," she finally decides, shooting him a small grin. "I think I am."

"So maybe snow isn't quite so evil?"

"Maybe snow isn't quite so evil," she repeats, rolling her eyes dramatically.

They stand next to each other in silence, both enjoying the panoramic view stretching out in front of them.

Finally, Caitlin speaks up. "Barry? Thank you."

He smiles. "Anytime. And I'll take you home so you don't have to drive on the ice."

"That's really...considerate," she says gratefully. "Thanks. Again."

They walk off together towards her car, their feet leaving footprints in the snow.

Caitlin found herself enjoying winter for the first time she could remember.

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><p><strong>Please review and leave ideas!<strong>


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: I just can't get over how fantastic you all are! Thank you all so much for the reviews and suggestions for future chapters - I'm looking forward to working on all of them =).**

**This chapter was inspired by Ebianna - thanks for the great idea!**

**Enjoy =).**

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><p>Caitlin squeezed her eyes shut and pulled her knees to her chest, trying to make herself as small as possible.<p>

Her breathing sounded ragged and loud - too loud.

He would hear her, would find her.

A tear trailed down her cheek, and she curled up against the wall of the small closet.

It wouldn't be long, now. There weren't many places left for him to search.

If there was any way to call Barry...but he would hear her phone or see the light of the screen. She had ruled out that option a long time ago.

There was no one to save her - she was going to die.

…

"Have you heard from Caitlin recently?" Barry asked, leaning one elbow on Cisco's desk and peering over the monitor to see what his friend was working on. It looked like a bunch of gibberish to him. "It's not like her to play hooky. Or even be late, for that matter."

Cisco shrugged, seeming unconcerned. "She didn't mention anything to me." He didn't even look up from his computer screen. "Maybe she just wants some alone time?"

"Maybe," Barry answered, still concerned. It was entirely possible that she just wanted to be alone for a while, but it wasn't normal for her not to tell them. If she wanted a personal day, he was positive that she would have called in.

"You can try her cell phone," Cisco added while typing furiously on the keyboard. "She always has it."

"Yeah, I'll try that," Barry replied, frowning. "Thanks."

Pulling his phone out of his pocket, he found Caitlin's picture in his contacts list and pressed the button to call her.

The line rang...and rang...and rang..

"Hello?" Caitlin's familiar voice came through, sounding calm.

Barry breathed a sigh of relief. "Caitlin, hi, it's-"

"...I'm not able to answer the phone right now," what he recognized as her answering message continued, "but please leave a message and I'll get back to you."

Frowning, he left a quick message telling her to call him and then hung up.

"Cisco," he asked, turning around, "does Caitlin ever leave her phone on silent?"

"Not usually," he replied immediately. "She could be busy, or not wanting to answer, though. Chill, man."

"Right." Even though he agreed, the whole situation seemed...wrong. Something was off, and it was making him more and more nervous.

"Cisco, do you have Caitlin's address?" he finally asked.

"Oh, come on," Cisco threw up his hands in frustration. "She's fine, and some of us are trying to get some work done here."

"Sorry," Barry muttered, shooting his friend an apologetic look. He must have been pretty annoying if he managed to get on Cisco's bad side. "But do you?"

Cisco rolled his eyes, but eventually looked up her address and wrote it down on a piece of paper. "No more interruptions?"

"I'm outta here," Barry promised, grabbing the slip.

…

He was in her room now.

The light had gone on only moments earlier, so she knew that it was almost time. The closet wasn't a very creative hiding spot and it would only be a matter of seconds before he flung open the door, saw her there, and...that would be it.

She closed her eyes. Some people wanted to look death in the face, but she had tried that method already, a couple times. It just made the fear worse.

Footsteps approached.

...

Barry knocked loudly on her door only seconds after leaving the lab.

To his surprise, the door swung open immediately at his touch - it must not have been shut properly.

Something was wrong.

Caitlin...Caitlin would never leave her door open and unlocked, whether or not she was home. And she wouldn't miss work.

Adrenaline started pumping through Barry's body as he cautiously entered, taking in the sight of the apartment. Nothing seemed off - it was tidy and comfortable, if a little sparsely decorated. However, there was no sign of Caitlin.

Something told him that he didn't have time to spare, so he sped through the small apartment at superspeed, casually noticing the man dressed in black holding a gun as he passed.

Then it clicked.

There was a man, holding a _gun_, in Caitlin's bedroom.

"Whoa there," Barry sped in front of the man, who was holding out his free hand to open the closet. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Who are you?" the man snarled, aiming the gun at Barry's heart.

"Not really important right now," Barry told him, glancing at the gun. "Where's Caitlin?"

"In here," a small voice came from behind him, muffled by the closet door.

Barry's heart leapt in his chest at the sound of her voice, feeling an intense sense of relief that she was okay, that he had arrived in time. "It's your lucky day," he told the man, a note of warning in his voice. "If you had hurt her…"

"You'd what?" the man smirked.

Barry sped around him, grabbing the gun and sticking it in the bathroom far out of reach, then using the cord that tied the curtains to secure the criminal.

"I'd do that," he replied smugly. Then he held up his phone. "Also, the police will be here in," he tilted his head to the side, towards the sound of the approaching sirens, "oh, about three minutes?"

The man just glared at him sullenly.

Having dealt with the danger, Barry turned to the closet and opened the door, revealing Caitlin curled up on the floor, the terror in her eyes just starting to fade.

"There was a gunman in your bedroom," Barry said lightly, reaching out a hand to help her to her feet. "Have you ever thought of moving to a new neighbourhood?"

Caitlin, still trembling, just flew into his arms and buried her face in his shoulder. "I thought I was going to die," she whispered. "How did you…?"

"You're never late," he whispered, bringing his arms around her waist and pulling her closer, trying to comfort her. He had never seen her this scared before, not even when they were close to death in previous situations. But then, she had never been alone and helpless before either. "What happened?" he asked after a moment, allowing her to pull away when she was ready.

She swallowed. "This morning I saw...something. A drug deal? Something obviously illegal, and I saw their faces. I just ignored it and continued home, but I guess one of them followed me home because I heard them picking the lock and so I ran and hid and then-"

"Shush," Barry pulled her back into his arms, interrupting her babbling. "You're okay."

"Thank you," she said fervently. "I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't been here."

"You'll never have to find out," he promised her. "I'll always be here for you."

The police arrived a couple seconds later to arrest the prisoner, breaking up their moment. Barry wasn't terribly grateful for the interruption - moments with Caitlin were rare enough that he cherished every second of them - but he appreciated the prompt response.

"I guess we should get to work," Caitlin finally commented after the police had left, her voice only slightly shaky.

Barry ginned charmingly at her. "Or, since we're already late, we could go get lunch?"

She looked uncertain for a second, but then smiled at him. "Why not?"

Her response surprised him, but he didn't let it show. He didn't want to ruin this chance. She may not consider it a date, but he certainly did.

At the very least, it was a start.

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><p><strong>Please review!<strong>


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Okay, so this chapter was inspired by Spitfire303's prompt. I really hope you liked how it turned out, because I thought it was fun to write.**

**As always, new ideas are welcome! I have the next 5ish chapters planned out, but anything after that point is open =).**

**Enjoy!**

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><p><em>The ground trembled beneath her feet, making it difficult for her to keep her balance.<em>

"_Barry!" she called out, feeling a surge of fear for his safety._

_Because he was down there._

_And it was all happening again._

"_Barry!" she screamed, running as fast as she could on the rolling ground, trying to reach the heart of the explosion before it was too late. Before she lost someone else to the particle accelerator._

_She reached the door, the door that had locked Ronnie away from her while he died, saving all their lives._

_Barry was on the other side._

_He looked up as she approached. "I can stop it, Caitlin," he told her, his eyes sad._

"_Barry, come back," she begged, ignoring his words. "Please don't do this."_

"_I have to," his voice sounded like a whisper, a haunting whisper that reminded her of Ronnie and how he also had felt obligated to sacrifice his life to save everyone else's._

"_I love you," she told him desperately, tears starting to stream down her face. She didn't know if it was true; she didn't even care. She would say anything to get him back to safety._

_Barry didn't look at her, didn't say anything._

_Then he started running, streaking away from her as she sank to the ground, feeling her heart break for the second time._

…

Caitlin sat up straight, her heart racing and a light layer of sweat coating her skin. "It was just a dream," she told herself, wrapping her arms around her knees. "Just a dream."

However, no matter what she told herself, she couldn't shake the terror, the feeling of losing someone else close to her.

Without thinking, she reached for her cell phone and dialed Barry's number.

After a couple rings, Barry's groggy voice answered, "Caitlin?"

"Are you okay?" she immediately demanded, her breathing still unsteady. She didn't pause to think how strange this conversation must be for him, especially at 4 in the morning.

"Yeah?" Barry mumbled unconvincingly. "Are you?"

Caitlin sniffed back some tears, starting to feel stupid for waking him up just because of some nightmare. "I'm fine," she replied, hoping that he couldn't hear the catch in her voice.

"Caitlin," he said warningly. "You're a terrible liar. What's wrong?"

"It's nothing," she tried to say dismissively, but Barry ignored her.

"I'll be there in a minute." Before she could protest, he hung up the phone.

In that moment, Caitlin was very glad that she was wearing pajama pants and a T-shirt to bed.

Only a couple seconds later, Barry breezed into her room. She didn't bother asking him how he got through the locked door - she figured that she really didn't want to know.

"What's wrong?" he asked again, his eyes full of concern.

She sighed, fully aware that Barry was not going to leave until she gave him an explanation. He was just too good of a guy. "It's stupid."

"I doubt it," Barry shot her a knowing look and sat on the edge of the bed, waiting.

Caitlin hugged her knees, trying to make sure that the emotions didn't come flooding back along with the memories of the nightmare. "It was the particle accelerator," she started, her voice flat in her attempt to stay calm. "It exploded again."

"Was it Ronnie?" Barry asked gently, scooting closer to her so that they were sitting side by side.

Squeezing her eyes shut, she again saw the image of Barry standing behind that closed door, the look of sadness mingled with determination clear in his eyes. "No," she shook her head, then looked up at him, tears glistening in her eyes. "It was you."

It was obvious that Barry wasn't expecting to hear that - he looked surprised, but only for a second. "What happened?" he then asked gently, putting an arm around her shoulders and pulling her against him. Normally, Caitlin would have moved away after a moment, but it felt nice to be held. Comforting, even.

"You tried to stop it," she continued, feeling a pang of remembered emotional anguish. "You left me, sacrificing yourself. Just like Ronnie." As soon as the words left her mouth, Caitlin regretted them. Ronnie...was a very sensitive subject. Somehow, though, Barry managed to make her feel comfortable enough that she could bring him up. But still, the hurt she had felt when he abandoned her, even if it was to save her life, was still so personal.

"I'm not leaving, Caitlin," Barry muttered quietly. "I'm careful."

She laughed incredulously. "Careful?"

"More careful than before, thanks to Oliver," he amended. "And I have something Ronnie didn't - superpowers."

"That doesn't make you invincible," she pointed out. "You can still get hurt. Or die."

Barry chuckled. "But I haven't yet, and that's what matters. Besides, I've got you to keep me from doing anything too stupid-"

"-as if you listen…"

"-and to patch me up when I don't listen." She could tell from his voice that he was grinning.

"You're not taking me seriously." Even though she said that, she knew he was taking her seriously, and he was doing what he always did - cheering her up. Still, it was difficult for her sometimes to accept Barry's care after how broken she was as a result of Ronnie's death.

"You're right," he replied with fake contrition. "I'm sorry. I'll make sure to ask the next metahumans I fight to be more considerate. Maybe I'll even just ask them to surrender and we could even skip the fighting altogether."

Caitlin rolled her eyes, but she couldn't help the small smile that spread across her lips in response to his sarcastic comment. "It couldn't hurt to ask. I've heard that some superheroes are even kind of nice. Egotistical, but nice." She peered up expectantly at Barry, waiting for his reaction.

"Egotistical?" he exclaimed with mock horror. "I believe there's a difference between believing you're amazing and actually _being_ amazing. It's not ego - it's fact."

Shifting against him so that she could meet his eyes, she put on a disapproving frown. "What am I going to do with you? Egotistical, reckless,-"

"-handsome, charming," he continued her list, smiling adorably at her.

She was about to respond sarcastically, but then she realized something - all the terror from her nightmare had disappeared, repelled by Barry's presence. Instead, she said gratefully, "Barry, thank you. For being here when I needed someone."

"You know you can always count on me."

"I do." She wrapped her arms around him in an awkward hug because of their position on the bed. "You're a great friend." As she pulled away, she saw a flash of something - disappointment? - in his eyes. But before she could verify it, it was gone.

"You're worth it." Before she could say anything, he changed the subject and asked, "So...how do you feel about hot chocolate? Because it is my go-to drink in the middle of the night. Something about the combination of sweetness and warmth…"

He was out of the room, banging around her small kitchen before she could reply.

For a second, she sat there, thinking about Barry's reaction when she had called him a friend. Was it disappointment? Did he want something more?  
>"Caitlin, you coming?" Barry's voice called her, cutting off her train of thought.<p>

She found herself smiling as she slid off the bed and padded out to the kitchen. There was plenty of time to figure out their relationship later, but right now, she wanted to just enjoy his company.

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><p><strong>Please review!<strong>


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Again, all of you guys are amazing! I read every review and appreciate all the positive feedback more than I can express.**

**This chapter was requested by Macredson and was definitely a challenge to write, but I think it turned out pretty well, so enjoy =).**

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><p>"Barry, come on. It's late - go home."<p>

Barry looked up from the computer to see Caitlin standing near the door, purse on her shoulder and already dressed for the frozen weather. She looked just as exhausted as he felt.

"Says the workaholic," he smiled, but straightened up, stretching his cramped muscles. "Cisco and Dr. Wells are gone already?"

"Yes. And, in my defense," she protested his earlier comment as he walked towards her, "I love my work."

"Ah," he nodded his head understandingly. "You're a happy workaholic. My mistake."

She stared at him disapprovingly for a second, but he saw the hint of a smile on her lips and knew that she was more amused by him than she ever let on. "Captain Cold can wait until the morning," she changed the subject. He suspected it was because she didn't want to admit that he somehow had the ability to break through her barriers and see the real Caitlin. However, he didn't push.

"It's bad, Caitlin," he instead answered quietly. "I couldn't stop him, and now he's still out there, hurting people."

"We'll find him," she reassured him, stepping closer and placing a careful hand on his arm. "Tomorrow. When we've slept."

An ominous chuckle echoed around the room, followed by a masculine voice. "And sleep you will," the voice boomed, the sound seemingly coming from all directions at once.

Barry sped into motion, automatically pushing Caitlin into the corner where it would be easiest to defend her if it came to a fight. Then, he stood in front of her, not bothering to change into his Flash suit - he couldn't risk leaving her unprotected like that.

"Come out and fight, you coward," Barry ordered. "Round two?" He was positive that it was Captain Cold, the metahuman he had fought earlier. As far as he knew, he didn't currently have any other enemies on the loose who would track him down to STAR Labs.

The disembodied voice laughed again. "I prefer less...direct methods, personally."

"What does he mean?" Caitlin asked in a whisper from behind him.

Barry shrugged. "What do you mean?" he called out, hoping for but not really expecting a response.

"That would take all the fun out of it," Captain Cold responded, a touch of insanity colouring his voice. "Death should be cold and slow."

"Well, it was worth a try," Barry whispered to Caitlin.

"Goodbye, Flash," the madman finished with a throaty chuckle.

There was silence.

"That was...strange," Caitlin finally said cautiously.

"Yeah," Barry agreed.

"Do you think he's actually gone?"  
>Barry paused, considering. "He's obviously planning something," he finally answered. "And if I were an evil mastermind, I would want to personally oversee my plans."<p>

"So, that's a no," she concluded, looking nervously around the room, one hand absentmindedly rubbing up and down her arm.

"Come with me." Taking her hand, Barry led her towards the main entrance, his steps cautious and his eyes alert for any sign of movement. He was too busy checking for danger that he didn't have the time to appreciate how it felt to hold her hand, to break the touch barrier in such a meaningful manner.

"Barry…" Caitlin's voice drew his attention and his gaze followed where she was pointing.  
>"That's not good," he commented, realizing that he was stating the obvious but unable to think up anything new. The doors were covered in a layer of ice, which looked to be a couple feet thick. There was no way that they could possibly open.<p>

"It's winter outside," she continued in a hushed tone. "That's not going to melt anytime soon."

"So, we're trapped?" he asked hopefully, unable to help the smile that formed on his lips at the thought of being stuck overnight in the lab with Caitlin. A part of him said that he really should be irritated or even angry at Captain Cold's inconvenient stunt, but he just couldn't make himself feel those emotions.

Caitlin rolled her eyes. "There are other ways out," she commented pointedly. "I think we should at least check them before we give up."

"On it." Barry sped away, checking every possible exit in under three seconds before returning to Caitlin. "All iced over. Sorry. Oh well." He tried to convey disappointment, but it was pretty sure that he was failing spectacularly in that regard.

"Why is he doing this?" she asked, shivering slightly. "It doesn't make any sense. Trapping us in here will buy him some time, but not much. Dr. Wells will have us out tomorrow morning."

"Maybe evil plans aren't his strength?" Barry suggested with a grin.

She stared at him flatly. "You're not taking this seriously."

"Nope," he admitted readily. "I can think of _many_ things worse than spending the night with you." Her offended expression immediately alerted him to what he had said and he mentally smacked himself. "I mean, it's an honour to be platonically spending platonic time trapped platonically together over the course of a night. Platonically." Barry winced - nothing he said was coming out right. He didn't want Caitlin to think that he was in love with her, but he also didn't want her to think that he wasn't into her, because he was. Finding the balance between those two was tricky.

"Let's find a way out," Caitlin suggested after letting him stew in his thoughts for a couple moments as she rubbed her arms more vigorously. "It's cold in here."

Their eyes met and understanding dawned on them at exactly the same time.

"Oh."

"Oh no," Barry responded, the gravity of the situation finally sinking in.

If Captain Cold was slowly lowering the temperature of the lab, how long would they last before freezing to death?

...

Caitlin was huddled on the floor, leaning against the wall, shivering. Barry had covered her with his jacket a while ago now, but it had only helped for a little bit. Now, her lips were blue and he could swear that he could see her breath when she exhaled.

Things were bad.

"Any….any...anything?" Caitlin stuttered.

Barry shook his head. "The whole place must be covered in ice," he concluded, tossing his cell phone onto the desk. "I can't get a signal."

Caitlin didn't respond. It was getting harder and harder for her to express herself, so she now only spoke sparingly.

"But I'll think of something," he promised her, even though he wasn't sure that he could follow through.

So far, he was lucky - he was able to race around a bit, keeping his temperature elevated through kinetic friction and remaining able to function. However, though he might last longer than Caitlin, even his superpowers wouldn't keep him alive until rescue could come.

"We...we're," Caitlin started speaking again through her frozen lips, "go...going…to die."

"Don't say that," he told her, sitting down beside and using his speed to rub some circulation and warmth back into her skin, as he did periodically to keep her blood flowing.

Her shivering became less violent and some colour returned to her nearly blue skin at his touch. "We can't last much longer," she pointed out, her speech abilities returning along with her blood circulation. "I'm going to freeze to death and you...well, you're slowing down."

Barry gritted his teeth. He had hoped that she wouldn't notice that he was losing his abilities as the cold intensified, but he should have known that she would be more observant than that. "It'll be alright, Caitlin. I have a plan."

"Really?" she looked at him with so much caring in her eyes, but he could tell that she knew he was lying.

"Yeah." There was no point in continuing the facade, in pretending that they would be fine, but Barry just couldn't bring himself to admit the truth, even though it was obvious.

They were going to die.

…

The cold was penetrating and relentless.

It was getting harder and harder to remember to stay awake, to make sure that Caitlin stayed awake too.

What was the point again?

Barry sat on the floor, Caitlin's head on his lap and her body curled into a ball next to him. He had been trying to keep her warm, but his speed was failing and the effects of the cold were starting to seriously set in.

They didn't have much longer.

"I'm sorry, Caitlin," he mumbled, one hand absently stroking her frozen hair. "I'm so sorry."

She didn't reply. Probably couldn't reply.

"It's my fault. All my fault." And it was. If it weren't for him, Caitlin would have left STAR Labs earlier instead of staying to talk to him. In fact, Captain Cold probably wouldn't even have targeted the lab.

And all he had left was the remains of his speed; a superpower that couldn't do anything to make them warm. If only he could create warmth, or a fire, or anything like that.

Didn't he do that once?

Thoughts seemed to move too slowly through Barry's brain, but he felt like there was an idea there, an idea that could save them.

Felicity's shirt - hadn't he set that on fire?

Groaning, Barry used his numb hands to move Caitlin's head so that he could get up, his frozen muscles protesting the movement.

"Stay," Caitlin's voice pleaded as he walked away, reaching one hand slowly out to him.

He couldn't stay, or even explain - he had to run. With something flammable. Fast.

Hobbling over to the desk, he fumbled to pick up the sheaf of papers containing all their research about Captain Cold - they were useless if he didn't manage to escape, anyway. Finally, his numb fingers succeeded and he started to run. Well, to walk. But it was a start.

Slowly, agonizingly slowly, he built up some speed as his body started to warm up slightly. However, it still wasn't enough. The papers didn't burst into flame.

Barry dropped them with disgust. There had to be something else - there just had to be.

Desperately, he returned to the room where Cisco had all his special weapons stored. He had Caitlin had already searched it for any type of heat ray or fire-creating weapon, but they had come up with nothing. However, there was something niggling him in the back of his mind, another half-formed idea.

An old gun caught his eye. Arthur Light's energy gun.

Caitlin had ruled it out as being useless, but now Barry saw it as hope. Energy - enough energy to transfer kinetic energy into ice and melt it? He was no scientist, but it was their only hope.

He picked up the gun, the extra weight making it more difficult to move, but somehow he managed it, passing the now unconscious Caitlin on his way to the closest exit.

Somehow, he lifted the gun, aimed, and fired at the iced-over doors.

Nothing happened.

Barry sagged to the floor, his last vestige of energy exhausted. He had failed.

Then, in front of his eyes, ice started melting, forming a puddle that spread across the floor and towards him.

Hope.

Barry kept firing energy blasts, destroying the doors completely and starting on the ice barrier blocking his way to freedom. His task took long - longer than he could afford for Caitlin's sake, but he had little choice.

After what seemed like an eternity, the ice in front of him was gone, forming a puddle that led outside - freedom.

Caitlin.

Barry struggled to his feet again and returned to her side.

He couldn't tell whether or not she was breathing, but right now it didn't matter. All that mattered was getting her to the hospital or anywhere else warm.

Lifting her into his arms was difficult - his body was still mostly frozen and weak. But somehow, he managed it.

He was going to save her.

* * *

><p><strong>Okay guys, I know that this was hardly a conclusive ending to this drabble, but it felt fitting. However, if you all want, I can continue the effects of this chapter into the next one and still incorporate the next prompt. What do you think?<strong>

**Please leave a review!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Okay, so this chapter takes place a little while after the events of last chapter and was inspired by Mr. Green - thanks for the fun request!**

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><p>Caitlin stared blankly ahead, her eyes searching, but seeing nothing.<p>

She couldn't help it.

"Caitlin, he's going to be alright," Cisco's voice came from beside her. She felt him lay a hand on her shoulder, but his attempt at comfort didn't help.

"You don't know that," she whispered, her voice flat in order to hide the true depth of emotions she was currently feeling.

"He's strong, Caitlin," Dr. Wells added from somewhere behind her. She hadn't heard him enter the room, but she didn't care. Didn't care about anything except _him_ right now. "He'll pull through."

"Can I have a moment alone with him?" she finally asked, unable to deal with human interaction at the moment. Her emotions were too raw to handle anything, even the well-meaning words of her friend and boss.

In short, it reminded her too much of Ronnie.

"Of course," Cisco stood immediately. She didn't turn, but she heard him open the door and heard the characteristic sound of Dr. Wells' wheelchair moving out.

Then, she was alone. With him.

Taking short, shallow breaths in an attempt to keep from crying, she moved over to the bedside and looked down at the figure lying there.

"Barry," she choked out, "I'm so sorry. This is all my fault."

…

"_You can't go after him," she protested, but she saw the determination in Barry's eyes and knew that her words were having no effect._

"_He nearly killed you, Caitlin," Barry strode around the small hospital room, the pacing showing his agitation. "How can you think that I can just forget about it?"_

"_I didn't say forget about it." She reached out a hand and Barry immediately sped around the bed to take it in his. "Just…put it on hold. At least until we can find a way to beat him that doesn't involve anyone dying. And by anyone, I mean you."_

"_So you do care," Barry grinned at her flippantly._

_Her heart beat more quickly. She was sure that it had nothing to do with Barry's smile or the tender look in his eyes, though. It must be purely in reaction to the medicine currently being pumped through her blood, helping to combat the effects of the hypothermia she had developed at the hands of Captain Cold._

_She rolled her eyes at Barry. "Only for purely scientific reasons," she teased back. "I can't have the biggest scientific discovery of my life running off to die before I have at least uncovered some secrets."_

_Barry faked an injured expression. "Ouch. In that case," he became a blur, obviously moving out of the room in the middle of his sentence, then returning with a bouquet of pink lilies, "maybe I should give these to Mrs. Bell next door."_

"_You bought me flowers?" Caitlin gasped, at a loss for a witty response._

"_Aren't pink lilies your favourite?" he asked with a wink._

_She just nodded, accepting the flowers he offered her and taking a deep breath of their fragrant scent. "Barry, this is really sweet. Thank you."_

_He grinned, obviously pleased with himself. "For you, anything."_

"_Anything?" she asked, raising an eyebrow._

_Grin vanishing, Barry hurried to amend his statement. "Within reason. I exempt anything to do that involves seafood, submarines, or scuba-diving."_

_Caitlin wrinkled her nose in confusion. "What do you have against the ocean?" Barry opened his mouth to respond, but she cut him. "Nevermind – it's not important. Anyway, I want you to promise me something – don't go after Captain Cold until I'm healthy and we're better prepared, okay?"_

_Barry hesitated. "Caitlin…"_

"_You said 'anything'," she reminded him._

_He groaned dramatically and flopped into the chair beside her bed, releasing his grip on her hand. "You're so needy," he whined, obviously only half-joking._

"_Barry," she reminded him. "Promise."_

"_I promise," he finally agreed sullenly. "But I don't like it. This guy gave you hypothermia, and every second I wait before bringing him down is one more second that he could use to hurt someone else or to escape."_

"_Thank you," she responded simply, realizing just how difficult it must have been for Barry to agree to her request._

_He smiled at her, and all her worries were put to rest, at least for the moment._

…

He had been like this – lying there comatose - for almost 24 hours now; long enough that she was worried about his recovery, no matter what Cisco and Dr. Wells said.

"This is all my fault," she repeated, still trying valiantly to hold back her tears. "You went after him because of me; I know you did." She sniffed, then added wryly, "But, knowing you, you would have gone after him regardless. You're that kind of person – good, brave."

She slipped her hand into his, entwining her fingers around his limp ones, and laid her head down on his chest. The sound of his heartbeat, still strong, reassured her that there was still hope.

Ronnie had sacrificed himself for her, a selfless action in order to shield her from the explosion. Now, Barry had done the same, but this time, she refused to let the man she loved die.

The man she loved. The man she loved?

Caitlin froze, not moving her head. _Where did that come from?_

Of course she loved Barry. As a friend.

A friend who she could call in the middle of the night if she had a nightmare.

A friend who taught her to find joy in the snow.

A friend who brought her her favourite flowers when she was in the hospital.

As much as she tried, though, Caitlin couldn't quite shake the impression that she'd had an unexpected, and certainly unwelcome, revelation.

"Barry?" she whispered, a stray tear rolling down her cheek. "Please…please don't leave me. I…" she paused, wiping away more tears before they could drip onto Barry's shirt, "I think I might have feelings for you. Romantic feelings." She laughed unsteadily. "I know, bad timing, right? You're in a coma and I'm still grieving over Ronnie."

She paused, glancing up at his face, both hoping for and scared of a response. Nothing.

"And," she continued, "I don't know if I could handle another heartbreak." It was hard to say, nearly impossible for her to be so vulnerable even if Barry couldn't hear her, but it somehow felt right. She knew that she was being silly, that her possible feelings for him didn't have the power to bring him out of the coma, but it was all she could do.

She stayed there, her head resting gently right over his heart, until she fell asleep.

…

"_Barry!" Her anguished cry echoed through the room. She had rarely felt as helpless as she was feeling at the moment._

_Things weren't going well, and she was back in STAR labs, nowhere close enough to help him._

_This was her fault – she had told him that he was ready to face Captain Cold. Admittedly, she'd had her doubts, but he had been training and Cisco had created some special type of heat ray that was supposed to incapacitate the metahuman so that Barry could retrieve him and imprison him._

_Nothing was working according to plan._

_Only seconds into the fight, Captain Cold had destroyed the heat ray, leaving it shattered in tiny little pieces at Barry's feet._

_Seconds later, it was Barry who was now lying on the pavement, Captain Cold's powers having leeched away his speed and starting on his life._

_And Caitlin could do nothing to stop it._

"_Barry, please get up. Fight," she begged, feeling tears well up in her eyes, blurring her vision. "Please."_

_Somehow, Barry got up. Whether in response to her plea or not, she didn't care. "This isn't over," she heard him tell Captain Cold through her earpiece, his voice weak. "Not yet."_

"_Barry, you can't win this one," she whispered, concerned. Then, louder, she ordered, "Barry, run!"_

_He hesitated. And that second's hesitation cost him – Captain Cold unleashed an icy blast aimed directly at Barry's chest._

_Caitlin screamed, her voice merging with Barry's cry of pain._

_But somehow, he managed to escape, to run. But now far. Monitoring his vitals, she could tell that it was impressive he managed to even more, judging from the amount of damage he had sustained. _

_Sure enough, he collapsed, only moments later, still miles from STAR labs._

…

Barry's eyes struggled open.

He was in a room, a white room. And there was something on his chest.

Lifting his head slightly, he found himself staring at Caitlin, who was obviously asleep. Her face, which generally sported a sad or worried expression, was much softer. And somehow, that softness made her look even more beautiful.

He laid back down, content to let her sleep. It felt good to have her be so worried about him, worried enough to literally fall asleep at his bedside.

Memories of what had happened flashed through his mind and he groaned in frustration, remembering that Captain Cold had escaped. Again.

However, other, more pleasant, memories returned too. Just glimpses, really, of Caitlin. He wasn't even sure if they were just wishful thinking translated into his dreams or if they had actually happened.

_Romantic feelings. Please…please don't leave me._

Those glimpses…it was like trying to remember a conversation that had happened in another lifetime. It was impossible to determine whether or not it was real, but at the moment, it didn't matter.

He was safe. Caitlin was safe, and surprisingly relaxed considering her uncomfortable-looking position.

The only thing left to fix was Captain Cold.

But, in the meantime, he had plenty of time to go back to his dreams about Caitlin.

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><p><strong>Please review!<strong>


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Okay guys, sorry that this chapter is coming out later than I expected...between the holidays and a couple family emergencies, I haven't had much time to write. However, this prompt from Guest was SO much fun to write and I hope you all enjoy this slightly-late holiday chapter!**

**(We are taking a break from Captain Cold for a minute, though!)**

* * *

><p>"So, who are you taking to the big Christmas party tonight?"<p>

Barry glared at Eddie with irritation and ignored his question.

"Because," the man continued, obviously not aware that this was a sore spot for Barry, "Iris is dying of curiosity. She says that you won't tell her either."

"There's a good reason for that," Barry muttered under his breath.

"Hmm?" Eddie paused, obviously having missed Barry's comment.

"Nothing," Barry said curtly, hoping to end the conversation.

Finally, Eddie took the hint and smiled. "Well, I guess it'll just be a surprise then. See you tonight!"

"Yeah," Barry mumbled with a complete lack of enthusiasm. "Tonight."

…

"How was I supposed to know that everyone was bringing dates?" Barry ranted, pacing around the lab and throwing his arms in the air in frustration. "No one mentions it - not even once - until today. And now, EVERYONE suddenly wants to know who I'm going with."

"Dude, chill." Cisco was the only one present in the main part of the lab, so he had been forced to bear the brunt of Barry's tirade. "Not the end of the world."

Barry thought briefly about going, about seeing Iris cuddling up to Eddie all night, about everyone else with a date and him left alone. "Not the end of the world," he agreed grumpily, flinging himself into a chair. "But I can fight the end of the world. The only thing I can't do is get a date."

Cisco leaned towards Barry and shot him a knowing smile. "I know the perfect solution."

Sighing, Barry mentally prepared a suitable refusal for when Cisco offered to make him a robot girlfriend or something similar.

"Ask Caitlin," Cisco whispered, jerking a thumb to where they could see Caitlin through the glass leading into her mini-lab, bent intently over a microscope.

"Thanks, Cisco, but that's a terrib-" Barry stopped in mid-word as what Cisco had actually suggested sunk in. "Caitlin? What?"

"She's single. And a woman."

"But she's...Caitlin!" Barry protested. It wasn't that he didn't want to go with her - actually, going with her sounded much too good to be true. She was probably the only woman that could make him enjoy himself despite Iris and Eddie. But asking her out...he didn't want to ruin their tenuous relationship before she was ready.

"She's single; you're single," Cisco replied, rolling his eyes at Barry's protests. "And you need a lady."

Logically, Barry couldn't come up with a rational excuse. Cisco's suggestion made perfect sense. However, what if she said no? What if she had an awful time? What if this ruined everything he had worked so hard to develop with her? "She wouldn't want to go," he finally said dismissively.

"Ask her," Cisco ordered, his gaze glued to his computer screen again.

…

Somehow, Barry found himself wearing a suit and escorting the most beautiful woman in the room.

It was all a blur.

"We should probably move out of the doorway," Caitlin whispered into his ear. Her comment should have made him move, but instead he just found himself distracted by the feel of her warm breath against his skin. "Barry," she insisted, tugging him out of the way. Somehow, he managed to snap out of it and follow her out of the doorway and over to the back wall.

"Have I told you how beautiful you look?" he asked, losing his focus again as he looked at her. She was wearing an off-the-shoulder forest green dress that highlighted her eyes and made her skin glow in contrast with the deep colour. Her hair hung in loose waves, creating a tempting curtain falling down her slender neck. He longed to reach out and touch it, to move the strand aside and see if her skin was really as soft as he imagine.

"A couple times," she smiled. The gesture brought his attention to her lips, which…

Mentally, Barry hit himself. No. He couldn't be thinking about her lips. She was his friend, and he wasn't going to push anything that she didn't want.

"How about I introduce you to some of my friends?" Barry changed the subject desperately ripping his eyes away from her lips to look around the room. "Iris and Eddie have to be around here somewhere. And Joe's gotta be here too."

"Uhh, Barry," Caitlin laid a hand on his arm. "You realize that I've met them all before, right?"

He stared at her for a second. "Yep. I just thought that-"

She cut him off before he could give her his half-formed excuse. "Barry, what's going on? Why are you acting so...nervous?"

"I…" he started, hoping against hope that something would save him from having to tell Caitlin that she was too beautiful and he couldn't seem to stop thinking about her.

"Barry!" a voice interrupted, and he glanced up, relieved to see Iris dragging Eddie through the crowd towards their position in the back of the room. "You made it!"

"Yeah, we're...here," he said lamely, still at a loss for words. Luckily, Iris was more than capable of continuing a conversation without his help.

"And Caitlin," she continued, letting go of Eddie's hand long enough to hug Barry's date. "You look stunning."  
>Their conversation continued while Barry shook Eddie's hand. He could tell that the other man was happy to see Barry with a date; it was obvious that he didn't always like how close Iris and Barry were.<p>

"You guys do realize that you're standing under the mistletoe, right?" Iris interrupted Barry's thoughts, pointing towards the ceiling with a knowing smile.

Barry glanced up, confirming that the plant was really overhead, and then glanced over at Caitlin.

His heart started beating more quickly.

"Come on Barry, give her a kiss," Eddie encouraged.

Caitlin's eyes met his, and he saw permission there, so he leaned in and pecked her lips so quickly that he barely even felt the contact.

Iris put her hands on her hips - a gesture that invariably meant she was going to lecture Barry. "A real kiss," she emphasized the word 'real.' "It's a Christmas tradition."

"Are you okay with this?" Barry asked, looking at Caitlin again. He couldn't deny that he wanted...okay, _really_ wanted to kiss her, but he wanted to make sure that it was what she wanted too.

She bit her lip, which nearly made Barry groan at the sight, then met his eyes again and nodded.

Deliberately, Barry stepped towards her and put one arm around her waist, pulling her towards him so that they were centered under the mistletoe. With his other hand, he gently brushed a loose strand of her hair back from her face, allowing himself to enjoy the sensation of her skin - softer than he had imagined - against his fingers. Then, he leaned in and his lips met hers in a soft, tender caress. It was everything Barry had hoped it would be, and more. Her scent intoxicated him, her taste excited him.

"Yeah, Barry!" Iris' surprised exclamation reminded him that he was at a party and that now was probably not the ideal time to continue kissing Caitlin like that. "That's what we're talking about!"

Regretfully, Barry pulled back and took in the sight of Caitlin - her lips still slightly parted, her eyes wide.

"Wow," she breathed, touching a hand to her lips automatically.

"Yeah," he echoed, again forgetting Iris and Eddie's presence. "Wow."

"We're...just gonna go," Iris grabbed Eddie's hand and pulled him away, but Barry barely noticed.

"That was some kiss," Caitlin commented, obviously trying to gather her composure.

Realizing that he was still holding her in his arms, Barry released his grip, allowing her to step away. However, he kept one hand gently resting on her back, feeling the heat from her skin through the thin material.

"I'm glad I asked you to come," Barry said, changing the subject slightly.

"So am I," she replied, looking straight ahead. However, Barry could see evidence of a slight smile on her lips, and that made him smile too.

Maybe Christmas parties weren't so awful after all.

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><p><strong>Please review!<strong>


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Okay, so this chapter was inspired by Airsay – thanks for the fun prompt, and sorry that it's coming a couple days late for New Year's…**

**Anyway, I hope that 2015 will be a wonderful year for all you guys!**

**Thanks for reading =).**

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><p>Caitlin dropped her gaze, deliberately avoiding Barry, who was trying to catch her eyes from across the room.<p>

She had been doing that a lot lately.

Ever since that Christmas party, things between her and Barry were…well, confusing didn't seem to cover it, but she couldn't come up with a better word. That kiss under the mistletoe had thrown her world out of orbit, and she had been struggling desperately to bring everything back under control, but to no avail.

Feelings. Caitlin had managed to avoid, or at least suppress, those ever since Ronnie's death. Until now. Until Barry. Until that kiss. If she was being honest with herself, that kiss had been amazing. Incredible, really – an experience that she was eager to repeat. But still, there was a part of her that insisted she avoid him, because feelings like the ones she was currently experiencing would only lead to heartbreak. And, while heartbreak was a familiar ache, she didn't want to fan it back into the searing, fresh pain she had experienced when she had first lost Ronnie.

The solution seemed simple – avoid Barry. However, when they worked together every day, that wasn't nearly as easy as she hoped it would be. She had done pretty well, making sure that their conversations were short and that they were never left alone together to discuss anything involving that kiss, but tonight, at the intimate New Year's celebration Dr. Wells had put together, her ability to pretend that Barry didn't have an effect on her was being strained to its limit.

"…hope that we'll find and catch tons more metahumans," Caitlin tuned back into the conversation just in time to hear Cisco's hope for the New Year. She sighed. Danger never seemed to faze Cisco for very long – he actually seemed to thrive on it.

"Barry?" Dr. Wells asked, glancing at the man that Caitlin was trying to avoid thinking of.

"Uh," he grinned charmingly, catching her eye for a brief moment, "I hope that 2015 is a year of new beginnings." He looked at her again with a teasing twinkle in his eyes and she found herself blushing, despite her attempts to control her emotions. It was obvious to her, if not to anyone else, what Barry meant. A new beginning for them, for their relationship.

Blinking away the thought, Caitlin found everyone staring at her. "Caitlin," Dr. Wells prompted, "your turn."

She frowned and wracked her brain, trying to think of what she wanted the New Year to mean for her. Finally, she responded, "I want 2015 to be different." Her statement was met with puzzled looks from everyone else. "I'm tired of complacency," she clarified slowly, the words coming as a revelation for her as well. "I want to take risks, to try new things." Even as she spoke about stepping outside of her comfort zone, she couldn't force herself to meet Barry's eyes. While she wanted 2015 to be new and exciting for her, she wasn't sure that she was ready to go that far, at least not yet.

The conversation continued around her, with Dr. Wells thanking them all for their hard work throughout the year, but Caitlin just couldn't make herself focus. And, by the slightly glazed look in Barry's eyes, he couldn't focus very well either.

"Should I go get the drinks?" she finally asked abruptly, shooting Dr. Wells an apologetic glance at her interruption. "It's only a couple minutes until midnight." Her request was reasonable, but the real purpose behind it was to be moving, be doing something, so that her thoughts wouldn't keep dwelling on Barry and where exactly they stood after that kiss. Besides, it couldn't hurt to get a bit of space, if only for a moment.

Dr. Wells nodded in agreement, and she practically bolted from her seat in his living room over to the kitchen. Once there, she gripped the counter and focused on taking deep, long breaths to calm her raging emotions.

"Need a hand?"

Caitlin nearly yelped at the sound of Barry's voice coming from behind her. With his speed, sometime it was impossible for her to hear his approach. "I'm good," she responded, but a heartbeat too late, because Barry was already gathering glasses and pulling the bottle out of the fridge.

"So you want to try new things, hmm?" he asked, shooting her a hopeful grin as he pulled the cork out of the bottle.

She sighed, realizing that this was quickly going to turn into the exact conversation that she had been trying so hard to avoid. "Not the time, Barry," she told him, passing him a glass to fill.

"I think it's the perfect time." There was no longer a hint of teasing in his tone – he was being completely serious. "And I'm tired of waiting."

Caitlin bit her lip and glanced at the clock. 11:57. She didn't have much time, so she had better make it fast. "Barry," she started carefully, "that kiss was a mistake."

"It didn't feel like a mistake." Barry put the bottle down after filling the last glance, then moved closer to her until they were only inches away.

"I'm not ready for a relationship, not yet," she said breathily, trying to keep her thought process going – it was extremely difficult when Barry was standing so close to her, looking at her with that soft look in his eyes.

"Then we'll wait," he replied simply, stroking one finger across her lips in a gentle caress that made her shiver. "But, I'm not giving up," he added as he picked up two glassed and walked out of the kitchen, leaving Caitlin standing there, dazed.

That was not how that conversation was supposed to have gone.

Returning to the living room, she joined in the final countdown and clinked her glassed with everyone, but her brain was only partially on the ceremonial gesture and mostly focused on Barry and the promise he had left her with.

…

"Can I walk you home?"

Caitlin finished buttoning her coat with deliberate fingers, postponing the moment that she had to respond to Barry's seemingly innocent question. Winding her scarf around her neck and putting her hat on her head took a couple moments as well. Finally, she looked up. "It's not far," she protested, fully aware that no amount of arguing was going to make Barry give up.

"It's not safe for someone as beautiful as you to walk home alone. In the dark." Though he said it teasingly, she could hear the genuine concern in his tone.

Sighing, she nodded.

Two seconds later, she found herself snugly held in Barry's arms right outside the door to her apartment. "Barry," she scolded him, even as she enjoyed the feeling of his arms holding her close. "Put me down."

"Do I have to?"

Despite her irritation, she smiled at his unwillingness to let her go. "Yes. And," she felt at her head, realizing that she had lost her hat sometime during his insane run, "you can go find my hat for me."

Barry laughed. "Whoops." He set her on her feet, sped away, and returned with her hat in his hands before she could do more than get her key out of her bag. "Sorry," he grinned sheepishly.

Taking the hat from him, Caitlin turned and put her key in the door, but Barry's touch on her shoulder made her turn back around. "Remember how you wanted to take more risks?" he asked softly.

"Yes…?"

"Well, I like that idea." Before she realized what was happening, he was kissing her. Not the tender kiss that they had shared on Christmas, but a more heated one, one that made her blood boil and made her cling to him.

Right then, right as she was sinking into his tall frame, he pulled back with an audible sigh of regret. "You are an amazing woman, Caitlin Snow," he chuckled, taking a step backwards. "You don't want to be in a relationship, but when we kiss, it's…wow."

She bit her lip to stifle the grin she felt at his obvious confusion. "Sorry," she wrinkled her nose. "Annoying Barry Allen is one of my New Year's resolutions."

"Oh, is it?" he asked, an amused look on his face.

She nodded in confirmation. "And it's one I plan to work hard to keep."

"Well," he returned with a cheeky grin, "one of mine is to kiss Caitlin Snow."

"You just did," she pointed out, trying again to sound annoyed. Deep down, she knew this was wrong, that this would only end badly, but in the moment it was so hard to remember that.

Barry just grinned at her. "Happy New Year."

Before she could respond, he sped off, leaving her with her confused, conflicting thoughts and a slight smile on her face.

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><p><strong>Please review!<strong>


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Okay guys, sorry that updates have been pretty infrequent lately...this semester at school has been crazy. I'll try to update as often as I can, but I can't make any promises other than I still love writing this story and I still have tons of awesome prompts to get through.**

**Speaking of which, this chapter is inspired by both Ebianna and Brock's Geodude - I sort of mixed them together since they worked perfectly.**

**Enjoy!**

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><p>Caitlin coughed into her sleeve.<p>

Barry knew that coughing was normal, that it could be nothing, but that was the third time she had coughed in the last minute. That, coupled with the bags under her eyes made him suspicious that something wasn't quite right.

She coughed again.

"Feeling okay, Caitlin?" Dr. Wells asked just before Barry could. "You sound like you're catching something."

"I'm fine," she answered immediately, shooting her boss a smile that, to Barry's suspicious eyes, seemed a little forced. "I just have a little tickle in my throat."

Dr. Wells just nodded and moved on, leaving Caitlin and Barry alone in the testing room.

"Barry, can I get one more-"

"Are you sure you're okay?" he asked, cutting her off before she could finish her sentence. "You don't look so good." In fact, he could see that she seemed a little flushed, even under the florescent lab lights.

Caitlin crossed her arms and shot him a look that he immediately recognized as defiance. "I feel great. Wonderful. Now, sit down," she gestured imperiously at the bed. "I need one more blood sample."

"Caitlin," he softened his voice, but did sit down where she indicated, rolling up the sleeve of his sweater to let her access the veins in his arm, "if you're not feeling well, it's okay to go home."

"How many times do I have to tell you all that I'm feeling fine?" she asked, exasperation clear in her voice. However, in her eyes, Barry could see that she was lying. He knew her much too well.

"You're the expert," he shrugged, letting her win the argument for the moment.

She paused, then shot him a grateful look. "Thanks." Walking over, she carefully unwrapped the needle and inserted it into his arm with the ease of much practice.

While she was busy, Barry raised his free hand and touched it to her forehead. She gasped and shied away, but not before he felt the fiery heat of her skin against his hand.

"Barry," she scolded, "you're freezing."

"You have a fever," he told her. "A bad one. You're going home."

"I have work to do." She wouldn't meet his eyes - a sure sign that she knew he was right and just didn't want to admit it.

"And work's more important than your health."

"Making sure that everything's okay with you is the most important thing." The sentence was punctuated by a brief coughing fit.

Barry sighed, both frustrated and flattered. On one hand, he loved that Caitlin thought of him as so much of a priority that she would ignore almost anything else, but on the other hand, she was being reckless.

"Tell you what," he made a snap decision, "if I go home with you, do you have the materials to finish running these tests at your place?"

She looked up at him suspiciously. "Will you actually let me do the tests?"

"Would I lie to you?" Barry grinned charmingly at her, hoping to distract her from the fact that he was ignoring her question. "I mean, superheroes in the movies never lie to pretty women."

"Have you ever seen a superhero movie?" she grumbled, taking the needle out of his arm finally and handing him a cotton swab, then pausing to cough into her sleeve. "And also, it's awfully convenient that you only refer to yourself as a hero when you want something."

Despite her attempts to sound annoyed, Barry could tell that she was close to caving, and that told him that she must be feeling absolutely awful to give in with only such a small argument. Dabbing the tiny amount of blood off the already-healed cut with the swab, Barry stood up. "Ready to go?"

She bit her lip like she always did when she was trying to think. Finally she nodded reluctantly. "Lying down sounds nice," she ventured quietly, wiping her nose with a tissue.

"I'll let Dr. Wells know that we're taking the day off."

…

Caitlin crawled gratefully into bed, thinking that she had never felt happier to be home than at the moment. Her head felt like it was stuffed with cotton balls and her nose was currently attempting to imitate Niagara Falls.

"What can I get for you?" Barry asked, sitting carefully on the edge of her bed. He had insisted on following her home, despite her protests.

"Nothing," she mumbled through her dry throat.  
>"Do you have a thermometer?"<p>

"In the bathroom." Giving him a reply seemed easier than arguing at the moment.

Barry was only gone for a second before he returned with the thermometer and took her temperature. "100.8 degrees," he read after it had beeped, his tone concerned. "Caitlin, that's not good. How could you possibly have come into work today?"

She just groaned and glared at him. "You said that I could finish running my tests."

Shifting toward her, his hand found hers and started tracing soothing circles in her palm. "I don't think that's quite what I said," he hedged.

Caitlin fell silent for a moment, her brain processes too slow to think up a good reason for why he was wrong.

"And besides, rest will be good for you," he insisted, his voice soft and full of caring. "What can I get you?"

"You shouldn't be here," she mumbled, her eyes feeling very heavy now that she was lying down under the covers. It was the first time she had felt warm since she had dragged herself out of bed and to work that morning. "I'll get you sick too."

Barry laughed and shot her the crooked grin that always made her heart race. "I don't think I can get sick. And besides, having the world's fastest nurse around can't hurt."

Caitlin laughed, but the sound turned into another fit of coughing.

"Do you want something to drink? Juice? Coffee? Tea? Water?"

"Water sounds nice."

With his super speed, Barry was up and back with a large glass of water before she could blink twice. "Fluids are good for sickness." He passed her the glass and took her free hand in his again, his touch sending pleasant tingles up her arm.

Caitlin took a couple sips and then placed the glass on her bedside table. "Barry?" she asked quietly, feeling her itchy eyes begging for sleep.

"Yeah?"  
>"Stay?" It was just one word, but it felt heavy, almost like it was resisting her attempts to push it out. Asking him to stay felt vulnerable, like she was showing him just how much she needed him and his support.<p>

Any maybe, deep down, a part of her was terrified by how much she had come to care for him. Especially after those kisses they had shared recently.

"I'll be right here," he promised immediately. There was no hint of resentment or even hesitation in his reply. "Now go to sleep."

With him sitting there, holding her hand, and her body desperate for sleep, she drifted off in only a matter of seconds.

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><p><strong>Please review!<strong>


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Okay, this prompt is from BSwifty1997 - I managed to incorporate both this prompt and also finish the little Captain Cold story we had going a few chapters back.**

**Also, I should point out that I do realize Captain Cold is not a metahuman in the show, but the fun thing about being a writer is that I can take some creative liberty with characters if I want to, and that's what I've done for the purposes of this story.**

**Enjoy =).**

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><p>Her phone, sitting on the counter next to her cup of coffee, started vibrating, interrupting the conversation Caitlin was having with Iris while she was on her break from waitressing at Jitters.<p>

Iris paused in her story and motioned towards the insistent device. "If you need to get that…"

Glancing down, Caitlin saw that the caller id read "Cisco." "It's probably nothing," she said dismissively, even as she reached for the device. On the off chance that she was wrong, she needed to make sure that she could be contacted. She knew that she would never forgive herself if someone was hurt and she could have helped, but she didn't because she was too busy having coffee with a friend. "I'll just be a sec," she mouthed to Iris as she answered the call.

Before she could even say hello, Cisco's voice demanded, "Are you at Jitters?"

"Yes, I'm…" the rest of her sentence was cut off as a gust of wind hit her with full force, sending her hair and every paper in the restaurant flying. "Oh no," she whispered, immediately realizing that only Barry could have caused that. And if he was running the risk of finding her in public, that couldn't be good.

The breeze died down, revealing exactly what she had hoped wouldn't be there - the Flash. Or, technically, Barry in his Flash suit. And he was lying, prone, on the ground.

"Get out of the way," she ordered, immediately pushing down her surprise and taking charge. "I'm a doctor." She rushed over to Barry's side, pushing through the throng of people clustered around him and dropping to her knees beside him.

"Caitlin," he groaned, his voice heavy with pain. "Thank goodness."

"What's wrong? What happened?" At this point, she was nearly frantic with worry and with the helplessness she was feeling because she didn't have all the tools she would have had in the lab.

"Broken leg. Dislocated shoulder." Barry forced out the words amid painful winces.

Caitlin took a deep breath, ignoring the curious chatter around them at the sound of Barry's speed-enhanced vocal chords. Now, she understood why Barry had needed to rush immediately to her side - with his fast healing, she had to get the bones set before they healed incorrectly, because, at that point, their only option would be to rebreak them.

"Iris, come here," Caitlin raised her voice and ordered, not taking her eyes off of Barry's masked face. "I need you to hold his leg steady here while I get the bone back into place."

Iris obeyed, but Caitlin could tell that the other woman was nervous around the Flash and not particularly willing to help.

Then, as quickly and as painlessly as she could, Caitlin set his bone back into place, tended to his shoulder, and then sat back on her heels with a sigh.

"Done?" Barry forced out through clenched teeth.

She ignored his question. "Don't move until you're healed," she ordered sternly, placing one hand directly on his chest to stop any attempts to get up. Underneath her touch, she could feel the beat of his heart - a reassuring feeling.

"Caitlin, we have to get him to a hospital," Iris gasped from beside her. "He needs medical attention."

"He'll be fine," she answered, not pausing to think about how her response hinted that she was familiar with the Flash. "In fact, he-"

"-is leaving now," Barry finished, moving her hand gently and hopping to his feet. Even though he tried his best not to groan, she could see how much pain he was in putting weight on his injured leg.

"Ba...But," she corrected herself before she used his name in front of the whole crowd, "you can't just…."

"Thank you," he cut her off.  
>She glared daggers at him. "You owe me an explanation," she hissed under her breath, softly enough that only he could hear.<p>

He flashed her a contrite grin and sped off without another word.

"You know the Flash?" Next to her, Iris' voice was incredulous. In fact, that sentiment was clear in all the faces of the crowd. And they were all staring. At her.

"Uh, what? No. Of course not," Caitlin babbled, feeling her face heat up at all the attention and the need to lie. "But he's a hero, right? And he needed help and so I helped…" she flapped her hands, trying to illustrate her point, but no one really looked convinced.

"I can't believe you didn't tell me!" Iris grabbed her arm and pulled her out of the circle of onlookers. "Do you know who's behind the mask?"

Caitlin glanced around nervously, then pulled her arm free from Iris' grasp. "I have to go." She shot her friend an apologetic look, trying to show that she was sorry, but that she couldn't' have this conversation. "Finish your story later?" She didn't wait for a response before she hurried out of the small cafe, heading straight to Star Labs to confront Barry.

…

"What the-"

"Caitlin, please don't be upset," Barry begged, cutting off the start of her angry tirade the second that she walked through the doors of Star Labs. He knew that this confrontation was coming, but he didn't really want to face her when she was this upset. Few things scared him, but an angry Caitlin Snow definitely made the list.

"Upset?" she stared at him incredulously, then folded her arms over her chest, the stare turning into a glare. "Why would I be upset? I mean, all you did was break your leg, dislocate your shoulder, and ask me to give you emergency medical attention in a public cafe. That's a perfectly normal day for me." She dropped her purse onto the desk with more force than was strictly necessary. "And the fact that I had _no clue _what was going on, that makes me feel great too. So no, I'm not upset." With every angry word, she took a step closer to Barry, who was now really wishing that his accelerated healing hadn't kicked in and that he was lying in a hospital bed instead of standing here. "I'm furious," she hissed.

"I caught Captain Cold," Barry blurted out, hoping that that would be enough of a distraction to defuse her anger a little bit.

She blinked. "What?"

"Captain Cold," Barry continued, grateful for the respite. "I caught him. But, obviously, not without a fight."

"You went after Captain Cold without me?" Her voice started rising again.

Barry reached out and took her hand in his, gently stroking his thumb against her skin. "No," he answered softly. "I went after Captain Cold for you."

Caitlin's lips parted slightly and her eyes widened in surprise. "For-"

The opportunity was too perfect for Barry to pass up - he leaned in and kissed her before she could protest.

For a moment, she was tense, surprised, and Barry was about to pull away in disappointment. But then, all of a sudden, she was in his arms, her body pressed against his and his hands tangling in her soft hair. Their lips moved together eagerly, expressing all the pent-up emotion constantly existing between them.

Finally, Barry sighed and moved back reluctantly. "This probably isn't the best place for this," he murmured, brushing a couple strands of her hair back into place.

"Yeah," she looked around guilty. "Probably not."

Barry grinned at her. "I guess this means that you're no longer mad at me?"

Widening her eyes innocently, she claimed, "You're going to have to kiss me again to make sure."

Despite his earlier protests about this being the wrong place, Barry was more than happy to kiss her again.

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><p><strong>Please review!<strong>


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